Talking genealogy with my Dad's cousin I was wondering what happened to my Nana's brother (her uncle) as he died so young. She told me she thought he was hit by a wagon.
I looked in online newspapers and finally I found it, tucked under an ad for the sale of a lunch counter...
CRUSHED TO DEATH BY WAGGON
Charles Tait, 15 years old, died in the Western Hospital yesterday as a result of having been run over the day before by an express waggon owned by a biscuit firm. The victim lived with his parents at No. 35 Cazelas street. An inquest will be held at the morgue today.
The article misstated that Charles was 15, in fact he was only 7 years old. He was the 10th child of my great grandparents, John Thomson Tait and Martha Singleton of Montreal, the address being 34 Cazelas, not 35. (As you can see newspaper reporters don't always get it right!) His obituary was in the next day's issue.
TAIT- Accidentally killed on the 15th Instant, in this city, Charles Tait, aged 7 years, son of John T Tait, No.34 Cazellas Street, St Henri. Funeral will take place Friday, July 17th, leaving the above address for Mount Royal Cemetery, at 2 pm. Friends will kindly accept this, the only invitation.
Doing more research on this family I discovered another tragic accident, one generation before in Bath, UK...
TAIT- Oct 14, run over by a spring-cart and accidentally killed, Alexander Tait, eldest child of Mr Andrew Tait, 3 Ebenezer Terrace, Dalton Street
Alexander Tait was 5 years old, and he was the brother of John Thomson Tait.
A spring cart (or sprung cart) has only two big wheels and no seat for the driver, who just sits on top of the goods he is transporting.
I fear cart accidents were all too common, judging by the number of reports I have come across whilst browsing old newspapers online. One report told of a female Ag. Lab., with three young children, who was crushed under a cart in the course of her work. The children ended up in the Poorhouse. Truly tragic.
ReplyDeleteHow tragic! I am guessing this is yesteryear's equivalent to car accidents. It probably happened more often than we would think. But, to lose children that young...heartbreaking.
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